Acror's Academy for the gifted Chapter 8: The release
by October Falls 31
Summary: Luna awakens to find herself inside a prison-like dungeon and befriends unlikely allies.


I tighten my grip on Master River making him contort in various ways and bend backwards. The sound of his bones grinding is audible as he is fighting my grip on him.

"If you let me go so I can walk that would be much appreciated."

"Don't" Jake interjects,"That's exactly how the last prodigy was wiped out and made a martyr. Don't let him go Luna."

I tighten my grip even more making him grunt in pain.

"TELL ME NOW!"

"W-walk to the chain over there next to the torch and pull it..follow the tunnel and you will find what you seek. Please, don't kill me."

"Go and check it out." I say to Jake and keep my grip on Master River.

The sound of metal grinding an abrasive surface echoed through the closed space. It seemed like a century before Jake returned and with a smile on his face.

"It's clear, let's go."

I heard a brief chuckle from Master River; in an instant his head smashes into the floor rendering him unconscious.

"You know we could make a great team." Jake said looking at me in a way that was a little over the lines of friendship.

"I always thought of Fire as terrifying and destructive. But, you don't seem that way. I do think we and the other prodigies we can find can make a great team. We need a name though because I know there is going to be more than four of us."

Jake beamed at the suggestion as if he had thought of it already,"Wow Luna I never thought somebody would think like me. This is great, how old are you?"

"Sixteen"

"Wow, I'm 28"

"Shut up."

"That's rude."

I laugh because honestly I don't believe it; he doesn't look a day over 20. I decide to get back to get back to the task at and and not distracted.

"Wait." I say to Jake looking around the room.

"I'm not leaving without helping these people. Who are they anyway?

"Most of them are dead or damn near close to it."

I give a look of horror at the thought of dying and all the other deaths that I don't know about that took place where I was standing.

"I don't care. If they are alive and can walk out they can if they can't well, they'll know the way." I say going off to unlock shackles. Jake decides to get over his immediate escape plan and keep an eye on Master River while keeping an eye on me.

I walk up to this one boy that looked about my age but really frail due to starvation.

"Who are you?" I ask him kneeling down.

The boy looks at me as his vision blurs to focus.

"I'm, Fortismon, but you can call me Fort." he said struggling in his shackles.

"Wait hold still," I say as I make a frozen custom water key for the shackles.

Fort holds his wrists and gives an expression of discomfort,"So who are you and how did you get down here."

"I'm Luna Statera, water academy prodigy."

"I'm sure with that kind of power you demonstrated you are something important. I know something like that when I feel it in the earth." Fort said. It was then that I noticed he was totally blind but walked without glasses with his eyes wide open.

"Wait, how can you see Fort?" I ask curiously. Really impressed in his eccentric gift.

"With the earth. I'm not sure how but when I touch the ground with my bare hands or feet, I can see anything making vibrations and the energy they give off.

I am wowed by it all and react like how Kirra did when I blew up the courtyard,"So you never wear shoes I guess?" I say thinking how nasty and gross and all the ringworm's he can get walking barefooted.

"I don't see the point, honestly. I can see in a different way. It's black and white and in a photographic negative but I can still see nonetheless. I'm the 'missing' Earth academy Prodigy student." he said looking around,"Then I was knocked out and woke up here where i'm tortured in various ways that I cannot mention because it's too painful to remember."

"That's terrible, I was brought here a similar way. I guess you can say I was knocked out. I felt like knives were slicing my insides up and the sensation spread to my brain where I just passed out. Guess you can call that knocked out."

Fort looks away as Jake approaches.

"We have to get out of here fast. Come on before Master River comes to." he says looking at Fort with an equally mistrustful look.

"What's going on between you two?" I ask annoyed because of the obvious tension in the air between the two young men.

"Jake was my opponent in the final duel for the Summer. The Acror Tournament a couple years ago. We were dueling and then suddenly I felt something hard, like a rock, hit my head knocking me out and we both ended up here. Besides the occasional rant and anger episode, we are just as informed as you are as far as what's going on here. Something not good that's for sure."

Jake looked to Fort and said,"That's something we can agree on."

"What's your gift Fort?" I ask as a half smirk spreads on his lips.

"I can move metal with my mind because I feel it in the earth since it is an element."

"Well, can you unlock these shackles or bust them off so we can help free these people?" I ask with hope in my eyes because it was taking far too long on my own.

"I will try my best. You give me hope..what was your name again?"

"Luna."

"Beautiful name. Yes, I'll help."

A few minutes elapse when a boy in a farther corner almost in total darkness was confined like the others. I approach him as he looks up to me shaking as he struggled to maintain his position.

"Who are you? I'm Luna Statera."

"I'm Gong. Air academy prodigy been capture down here for two years."

I recognize this young man to be of Asian descent as I help him out of his shackles and to Jake and Fort where the unconscious Master River lye on the ground.

"Gong, this is Jake and Fort, they're going to be our rescue team and get us out of here."

"Pleasure to meet you two."

I smile and then turn to Master River on the ground again.

"You should kill him, he hurt us all in numerous ways you can't imagine. He's a monster...but you should do it..I just feel you should be the one to." Jake says walking up next to me looking over to the unconscious Master River.

I look to Jake and nod,"I'll take care of it."

I walk to when I am standing above Master River and place my hands over his chest area and begin to take deep breaths, feeling the water in his lungs and around his heart.

"You have to make it look natural, like he died on his own." Fort comes up by me as Jake and Gong are talking.

"Like what?"

"You know."

The truth is I really did, I just didn't like verbalizing it.

At that moment Master River's eyes flew open wide eyed as the capillaries began to show bright red on his eyeballs. His hands gripped his throat as if trying to breathe then to his chest where he gave two great heaves then ceased and was gone; his eyes growing cloudy as the life left them.

I turn to Fort then the others,"Come on let's get out of here."


End file.
